AP-NW–Sports Right Now/879
BBA-MARINERS-ASTROS
McCullers, Springer lead Astros to 2-1 win over Mariners
HOUSTON (AP) — Lance McCullers struck out 10 in seven strong innings and George Springer homered for the second straight day to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday.
McCullers (4-2), who missed his previous turn with a blister on his right index finger, allowed five hits and one run while matching his season high for strikeouts. Luke Gregerson pitched a perfect eighth and Will Harris did the same in the ninth for his eighth save.
Springer doubled and scored in the first inning. There were two outs in the fifth when he launched his 19th home run to left-center field to make it 2-1.
Seattle starter Wade Miley (6-5) yielded seven hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings for his third straight loss.
Dae-Ho Lee had an RBI single for the Mariners, whose four-game winning streak was snapped.
MLS-TIMBERS-RAPIDS
Rapids, Timbers play to scoreless draw in Tim Howard’s debut
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Tim Howard made two saves in his Colorado debut and the Rapids played to a scoreless draw with the Portland Timbers on Monday night.
Howard dove to his right to stop Darren Mattocks’ right-footed shot in the 54th minute and made a kick save to deny Lucas Melano in the 63rd.
Colorado (9-2-6) dropped out of first place in the Western Conference as FC Dallas earned three points in a 4-0 victory over Orlando City on Monday night.
Portland (6-6-6) goalkeeper Jake Gleeson had four saves for his second shutout of the season.
Howard, who played for the MetroStars (now the New York Red Bulls) between 1998 and 2003, returned to MLS after 13 years in the Premier League with Manchester United and Everton. Colorado acquired Howard through allocation after the Rapids secured the No. 1 spot in the ranking order.
ATH-US TRACK TRIALS-MENS 800
Berian flipping over trip to Olympics in 800 meters
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Boris Berian completed his journey from a burger flipper to Olympian, finishing second in the men’s 800-meter final at track trials Monday to book his trip to Brazil.
Alysia Montano had no such luck. The runner who was cheated out of a medal by dopers at the last Olympics got tripped up on the second lap of the women’s 800 final and did not finish.
Kate Grace, Ajee Wilson and Chrishuna Williams made the 800 team for the women; Clayton Murphy and Charles Jock join Berian on the men’s side.
Sam Kendricks won the pole vault to make his first Olympics, four years after coming to trials, but getting bumped off the start list at the last minute by higher qualifiers.
OLY-US TRACK TRIALS-MENS POLE VAULT
Army reservist Sam Kendricks wins pole vault
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Perhaps it was only fitting that Army reservist Sam Kendricks won the pole vault on the Fourth of July.
The second lieutenant proudly waved his red, white and blue flag after setting a U.S. Track and Field Trials record by clearing 19 feet, 4 3/4 inches to make the Olympic team.
It was a big day for the Armed Forces all around, with U.S. Air Force pole vaulter Cale Simmons taking second on the holiday. Logan Cunningham was third.
Kendricks made his first Olympics, four years after coming to trials and getting bumped off the start list at the last minute by higher qualifiers.
OLY-US TRACK TRIALS-MENS JAVELIN
Furey, Crouser & Hostetler qualify for javelin at trials
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Turns out, 11th place wasn’t so bad for javelin thrower Sean Furey.
The 11th-place finisher at U.S. Track and Field Trials will be heading to Rio, because he was one of only three throwers in the final who had the Olympic standard.
Fourth-place finisher Sam Crouser is also going, as is the winner, Cyrus Hostetler, whose throw of 273 feet, 1 inch, was good for the title.
Normally, the top three finishers in an event would qualify. But since second-place Curtis Thompson and third-place Riley Dolezal hadn’t thrown the Olympic standard of 272 feet 3 inches this year, they are not eligible to go.
BOX-QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT
Ruenroeng wins, 2 Americans lose in Olympic boxing qualifier
UNDATED (AP) — Former IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand has won his first bout at an Olympic qualifying tournament in Vargas, Venezuela.
U.S. contenders Cam F. Awesome and Paul Kroll lost their opening bouts, failing to earn spots at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics next month.
The 36-year-old Ruenroeng fought at the Beijing Olympics, falling one win shy of medaling. He is attempting to take advantage of the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) decision to allow pro fighters to compete in Rio.
Ruenroeng won his bout against Germany’s Artur Bril, who fights in an AIBA-backed professional league.
Awesome lost a decision to Ecuadorian heavyweight Julio Cesar Castillo Torres, while Kroll lost a 3-0 decision to Germany’s Arajik Marutjan in a welterweight bout.
Six American men and two women have qualified for Rio.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
